


change in routine

by sleeperservice



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-25 15:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17124119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeperservice/pseuds/sleeperservice
Summary: A bunch of little changes in Nik and Patrik's routines for the 2018-19 season lead to a bigger one.





	change in routine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [forks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/forks/gifts).



This season had started out strange and had become stranger. This was Nik's first season out of his ELC--his first big-boy contract--and it came with certain privileges, like not having to have a road roommate. Nobody would have found it odd if he had kept on rooming with Patrik, as they still spent enough time gaming with each other on the road, but Nik felt he needed to keep some distance. His feelings for Patrik had been a bit too overwhelming and that was a subject that he didn't want to breach with him yet. So Nik had his own room, which was invaded less and less by Patrik and his console, and Nik also had his loneliness.

This weird trip to Finland wasn't helping, either. It was an unnatural break in the season, at an unusual time, and everything about it made Nik feel adrift. This was Patrik's home turf, more or less; not his hometown, but everything else was familiar to him. The language, the food, the culture, and the ridiculous demands on his time. Everyone wanted a piece of Patrik. Nik wondered if there would be any pieces left for the Jets to play the actual games.

  


Both teams were getting a lot of attention, and it was hard getting a break from it. When it came time to get back to the hotel and decompress from the day, all Nik wanted to do was sleep. Gaming would keep him up and all his usual NHL-based buddies were busy; what was left to him was Danish old friends, and he felt he should be connecting with those a lot more deeply than for twenty minutes of superficial competition.

His solitude was not kept for long, however. There came a knock at the door. Nik didn't get off his bed to answer it. There came another, and another, also going unanswered. Then his phone beeped. It was the text tone he used for Patrik.

LET ME IN, the text said. That was what finally got Nik to get up and open the door.

"What took you so long?" Patrik asked when he walked in.

"You could have sent me the text first. You're lucky I didn't have the phone on do not disturb," Nik said. He usually had the phone automatically set to go there after a certain time, but he had changed the settings right before this trip to Finland. He had the feeling that there were things he wanted to be disturbed for.

"I thought you would have recognized my knock by now," Patrik said. He winked at Nik.

"You know what kind of people knock on hotel room doors of hockey players at night." Nik shook his head.

"Other hockey players?" Patrik grinned. "I know. I'll remember not to drop by unannounced in future if you're going to be so cranky about it."

It wasn't cranky, it was just stress. Nik missed having Patrik around as much as he used to be during the previous season. "The text is enough. You're always welcome here, anywhere I am."

Patrik gave him an evaluating look. "So I won't be bothering anything important if I do?"

"You know what our games sound like, just put your ear to the door."

"Yes. Our games. I came to talk about the other games we play together, the hockey games."

Nik sat on the bed. "Yes. I'm surprised you've had a moment to think about anything since we've arrived."

Patrik sat next to him, very close. "I've been thinking about this series too much all season. Since this summer, actually. I had to do all these video shoots for the team. And I'm slumping so much and I know I'll let everyone who's come to see me play down. They came for a show and I don't know if I can give them one."

"Wow. That's not your usual confidence. You usually think you can go out and conquer the world armed with only a cotton ball and a straw." Nik patted Patrik's knee in an unconscious motion.

"Oh, really? You think I'm that bad?"

"No, just...you are always showing confidence. No matter what, because you believe it's going to happen right, because you believe in yourself. What's changed?"

"A lot. Sometimes I like all this attention. But now I don't. The attention I want, I don't seem to get." Patrik twisted the corner of his mouth up; he looked reflective.

"What kind of attention is that? The United States media? All the Jets get ignored, not just you. We may as well not exist down there. Most of the time we get ignored in Canada too. Just ask Wheels about it. I'm surprised you didn't come to him with this problem first. He's really good with this sort of thing. He's been there before with all of it."

"He's not been there with this, I don't think. The attention I want isn't the media, or the fans. It's yours. I've missed you so much this season. I've had to find new routines and I think it's messed me up." Patrik's anguished tone made Nik so regretful.

"But we still are together a lot. On and off the ice. You have my attention." Nik tried to keep his voice level. "I didn't think not rooming with you on the road would make such a difference."

"It has! I keep listening for your breath in the night. Everything we did together felt...cozy? It felt right and nothing else feels right anymore and it's so hard to do it without you." Patrik took a deep breath. "Not just hockey. Everything. It feels like you threw me to the side. But you're alone, like you're waiting...I'm so confused."

Patrik had moved closer to Nik. Their bodies were touching. Patrik felt so warm and solid and present. Nik had wanted that so much, that closeness, but hadn't wanted to allow himself to have it. "I'm not confused. Not anymore. I didn't want to have you this close if you didn't also want it because I was afraid of what I was going to do."

"Afraid? Of what? Not you, not...." Patrik stopped talking after he looked at the expression on Nik's face.

"Of this," Nik said, and kissed Patrik's lips.

Patrik responded enthusiastically, throwing his arms around Nik and holding him close. They had each other's full attention, for then; for the rest of the night; and for a very long time after.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my recip for the great prompt and giving me a chance to write for you!


End file.
